BIOLOGICAL VALIDATION OF A SIMPLE EXTRACTION METHOD FOR FECAL TESTOSTERONE DETERMINATION IN MALE CATS

FAYA M, CARRANZA A, FURLAN P, DE LA SOTA P, GOBELLO C

Bueno Aires

Jornada; Terceras Jornadas Internacionales del Instituto de Investigación y tecnología en Reproducción Animal; 2012

Instituto de Investigación y Tecnología en Reproducción Animal, Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires

Introduction: Non invasive techniques to measure hormone metabolites appear as attractive alternatives to avoid animal stress during blood sampling manipulation and restrain. In the domestic cats (Felis catus), 85% of testoterone (T) metabolites are excreted in feces.1 Objective: To biologically validate a simple method for T fecal metabolites extraction in domestic felids. Materials & Methods: Fecal samples were collected from entire (n=11), and castrated (n=11) 1 - 4 years, male cats of our institutional experimental colony.2 Fecal steroids were extracted as based on general methods described by Brown et al. (2008)3 with some authors´ modifications.4 Fecal hormones were determined by electrochemiluminescence (Elecsys®Testo II, Roche Diagnostics). Values were compared between groups by Students T test. Results: Mean ± SEM fecal T concentrations (ng/g) differed between entire and castrated males (60.1±12.5 vs. 24.2±6.1; p